Worry is a waste of time, and waste of time is waste of life

Do you often worry about things going wrong? [Do read: What's the best spiritual lesson you learned from dealing with anguish?]

Throughout the years when I had the opportunity to observe Swami (my Guru), there is one remarkable trait that I saw in Him. No matter what the situation is, Swami is always in harmony and absolutely free from worry.

Swami often says, "Worry is a waste of time and waste of time is waste of life." [Do read: How to find the peace within you when your plans go for a toss! ]

[Image: Unsplash]

A year ago, I saw a video of Swami visiting Delhi, Rishikesh and other places when he was in his early 20s - at a time when the world around probably looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and criticism. There was also a special musical programme where Swami addressed the 'Who's who' of Delhi - the leaders from political, business and elite community.

Knowing the 'elite' culture in Delhi very well, I can say that I'd get the shivers and worry endlessly about the whole thing. And I am nearing my 40s, so to speak and I have 'ample' experience with Delhi's so-called elites!

But in that video, young Swami exuded a radiance, a rare luminosity, that lit up the entire evening. His body language was that of flowing confidence.

That video shows Delhi's top folks turning up in their most expensive, finest clothes - they looked intimidating with their presence and their looks, occupying the finest seats in a posture of ultra-rich sophistication.

I looked at Swami's young, beautiful face. Swami wore his simple saffron robe, his bare feet peeked out of the robe. His eyes were filled with light and he sat simply on the floor of the stage - watching, observing and looking like the beautiful Lord Krishna Himself.

What amazes me still is the absolute peace that his face exuded.

In the way Swami looked, He looked like the King of the Jungle. He looked like the Leader - in his unassuming saffron robe, with his bare feet peeking out - sitting on the floor!

My heart surges every time I recall Swami's beautiful, divine simplicity - a message in itself - to be free from worry always.

So whenever I find myself worrying, I recall Swami's young, radiant form that always shone with the light of absolute confidence.

And I inscribe His divine words again and again in my heart, "You may face many ordeals. But do not pay too much attention to them. Lead your life happily till the end." [Do read: How to never ever give up on the spiritual path]

When faced with worry, how do you overcome/tackle it? Share it here so that others can learn too. I'd love to know too!

Comments

Most LOVED Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences. [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste. You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

Best time to light diya

Want to know when is the best time to light diya or deepam at home? In most Hindu homes, 'deepam' or 'diya' is lit at least twice - once in the morning and then in the evening. For both times, brass is considered to be auspicious for lighting deepam or lamp at home. Clay diyas are also considered auspicious for lighting at home. When lighting diyas on Fridays, it is better to use ghee than oil, if possible. [ Connect with Svara on Facebook ] [Read: Vidyarambham - The Labyrinth Within] When Should I Start Lighting Diyas? The symbolic shift begins from darkess to light. Therefore, in the evenings, light diya before sunset to usher in divine blessings into your home. At what time should we light diya today? Every morning at sunrise and every evening before or at sunset. An ideal time would be to light the diya at least half an hour before sunset. Can we light diya after 12 PM? In Hindu homes, the diya is lit early morning at around sunrise and towards evening sunset. Can ...

Does something bad happen if the diya goes off?

Is it bad if a diya goes off? This is a frequently asked question among people who light the evening lamp or diya regularly in their puja room. [READ: How To Light Deepam at Home and Why Malayalis Light Nilavilaku ] [Image by Sachin Yadav @ Pixabay] Why Did My Lamp Suddenly Turn Off? Where there is faith, there should be no scope for fear - this is Bhagawan Krishna's message to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. That represents strength of Bhakti. [READ: Bhakti: Meera's Greatest Wealth] Consider another example in the tradition of Bhakti. When Prahlada, a young lad, is targeted by his own father, he remains calm under every situation. When he is thrown into the sea, the wise lad is reminded that the sea is the abode of Shriman Narayana. [ READ: Amazing Stories of Lord Shiva ] H...

Saree Woes 2

Our earlier discussion on Saree Woes really perked up my spirits. A big thanks to all of you for pepping me up. Okay, here's the good news. There was an unexpected late night party that I had to attend in Gurgaon. To be honest, I haven't had the time or energy to attend any such parties after Adi was born. I was sure I wouldn't have the confidence to make conversation with the glitterati, let alone feel confident to carry off wearing a saree. This is one of those parties where you have to be dressed very formally. Well, at the end of a working woman's day, you hardly feel ready to attend one of these parties looking like a moron, right? So, with very little preparation and very few hours left, I called on all the gods in Heaven to help me look a little younger and prettier since I don't have the magic to look young all on my own. Although I was tempted to wear one of my awesome Kancheevaram treasures, I knew it would be very difficult to drape it without any h...

Do you have a List? I don't!

The wise people in my life have always advised me to be organized and making lists is the best way to get started. However, I don’t make lists and when I do, I lose them somewhere and end up spending more time and effort searching for it and finally, it leads me to tears. Before marriage, I never understood the value of time. My father always told me how important it is to make use of time and his formula was 'Time is God' but I didn't understand it. Of course, watching MTV and reading books and wandering out with friends is how I spent most of my time. Now, I realize that if I had been more time-conscious, there is so much that I would love to do with my time. I have a lot of shortcomings as a person but I am very proud about the fact that I work very hard at everything that I do and I utilize my every hour of every day and extract the best out of it. A normal day is when I just get very busy, going from task to task of what seems important, listening to my inner ...

Petals!

Search This Blog